The desert dust of Africa

Well, a couple of messages from home have told us of floods in Africa but believe me - it wasn't anywhere near us. We have been in the Namibian wilderness and really in the desert, where there was no rain at all last year and in fact, none for almost 2 years. And even then it was around 40 mm (good rains as the annual average is 20 mm). The people there are hoping for some more good rains at some stage between November and March. Interestingly there were some clouds in the sky the day we left so the people are hopeful.


I wish I could upload some images because the landscape has to be seen to really be appreciated. We took a flight from Windhoek of around two hours, with one stop to pick up two passengers (Scottish sisters, Janet and Morven, who were then our companions for the rest of our trip), to reach the Desert Rhino Camp. We flew through smoke and dust and over many mountains and bare, dry plains to reach Damaraland. Lisa (our pilot from Sefofane airline) was very skilled and so the small 6-seater Cessna (including the pilot seat) barely bumped at all as we made our way north. The air strip was around 45 minutes drive from the camp - but 45 minutes of bone shaking travel in our safari car at around 5 - 25 kph. The phrase that kept running through my head was "the mountains of the moon". Kapoi, our Himba guide and driver, was very careful and also informative about the wildlife and very sparse vegetation. We rocked over gibber plains and through gravel river beds, past the stinky shepherd bush and saw our first springbok and oryx.


A warm welcome awaited us in camp - a tented camp but permanently set up as individual twin rooms with attached bathroom (bucket showers and flush toilets) and beautiful white linen (all the lodges have white linen, given the dust and grime level we're really unsure why). We were welcomed by Daphne and Ignatius, the camp managers (and husband and wife) with cool face washers and drinks and then we made ourselves comfortable in the main dining and relaxation room for a while before having lunch and being shown to our "room".


We had an afternoon game drive - desert zebras, lots of oryx, springbok and a couple of giraffes - and then watched the sunset over the plateau as we had snacks (kudu and springbok biltong plus some other goodies for the vegetarian) and gin and tonics - very civilised!!! We came to love sundowners, they were always in some beautiful spot, stunning red sunsets and absolute quiet and stillness. The second night we had 5 giraffes close by as well, and Karpoi made us stop talking and spend a few minutes minutes "listening to the view". There's a lot to be learned from the Africans.


The next day the rhino trackers were out early and tracked the rhino from the permanent spring in one of the riverbeds. The concession is not fenced and the 19 rhinos at the concession are, we were told, the only totally free roaming rhinos in the world. Miraculously, given the huge tract of land to cover, we came upon 3 rhinos - a bull and a mother and youngster called, Ben, Deborah and Desiry. With a lot of strict instructions we got out of the vehicle and very quietly walked up hill and down dale in searing heat to get closer and then watched them for some 20 minutes or so. Ben was not really welcome and there was a bit of push and shove and dust raising before he wandered off around 30 metres or so, but he was clearly reluctant to leave the mother and youngster. Kapoi said perhaps she was coming into season, but the clear message on this day at least was "not tonight dear!"


When we got back to the vehicle Karpoi said we had not been close enough so there was to be more walking to follow them over some more hills. I started out and decided it was not worth dying for and so Lon took the new big lens and went on the walk. I found the extremely dry, searing air quite difficult when really exerting myself - I thought I was in for an asthma attack on the first hill, but no, it was really just not fit enough. However the air is SO dry it was like breathing in superheated air from an oven and I, at least, felt like the sides of my lungs were going to stick together. All in all I was pleased enough with the sighting I had and also pleased I didn't make the second stalk. (I'm talking temperatures of 40 degrees in the shade towards the late morning so I'm not sure what it would have been out in the open on the rock hills).


Back for a quick shower and "siesta" and then on the afternoon drive for sundowners we came across another male rhino - only good for binocular viewing but really pleasing to see yet another one. We only saw one elephant at Damaraland, an old bull with one tusk broken off. As there are only 2 in the concession we felt pretty fortunate to see even one of them.


Guests came and went and we also had the Sefofane pilot, James, stay over the second night. Just wait ladies, until I can post some pictures!! Patrick and Miriam (Swiss) had joined us for two drives as well. We met all sorts of nationalities but a lot of Germans and most of the travellers older rather than younger. And two young Englishmen, Jack and Jeremy, (who sounded like Wills and Harry) who are doing work in the camps as part of their "gap" year - building roads no less.

Dinner was always all the guests (the camp can hold 18) and then a sit around the camp fire out in the open and chat and watch the stars. Karpoi knew as much about the stars as he did the land so it was always entertaining. Two Americans flew in for a private safari (one of them apparently the owner of the Maker's Mark distillery) and more Germans arrived. Bed in the cool of the evening was always welcome.

As we left the next morning we saw lots of animals - Karpoi told us they didn't want us to leave and that if we must, then we had to return. And we both would love to do that, it was totally fascinating and very different.

Gotta go - bed awaits in Windhoek

lotsa love

Lonni and Lyndall

Windy Corner

Here we are in Windhoek (translated it means windy corner). We managed to get up at 4.30 am and just as well we did as the driver was early, arriving at 5.10 am instead of 5.30. We only kept him waiting a few minutes before we headed out to the airport for our Air Namibia flight to Windhoek to begin the Namibian part of our adventure.

We had dinner last night with Jeremy and Shelley (at the exceptionally posh Twelve Apostles Resort and Spa) who had just finished their Namibian leg and it sounds like we have a treat in store for us. It was only a two hour flight and Lon and I slept most of it, not even waking up for breakfast. We were collected by an exceptionally handsome young man called Max who dropped us at our hotel and also took us on a city tour this afternoon. But first a quick brunch (seeing as how we missed breakfast) at a nice restaurant - we asked the hotel security guard could he recommend a nice place and he escorted us all the way there - about 2 blocks. The people are very friendly in Namibia.

Windhoek only has around 300,000 people and most of them live in "shacks", as some of the settlements are called. We toured some of those and also visited an outdoor market where people sell spices, fruit and vegetables and meat both raw and cooked. We both made small purchases although neither of us tried the cooked meat.

Max then took us to Joe's Beerhouse, a famous spot in Windhoek and popular with tourists too. It's difficult to describe it - an eccentric, eclectic, comfortable indoor and outdoor bar and restaurant - the decor includes everything from elephant bones and oryx horns to old number plates, a carp pond, cooking pots, bird's nests, funny signs, stools shaped like toilet seats and fish trap light covers - but somehow it all works amazingly well. We enjoyed some relaxation with Max, who is excellent company, and had a drink and some great potato wedges with a nice chilli salsa. Max shared stories of his impending marriage and his two small boys and has filled us in a great deal on how people live in Namibia.

Now we're back at the Kalahari Sands and Lon is resting while I'm in the Business Centre. Unfortunately I can't upload any photos from here. Not sure what the situation will be like at our next two destinations, the Desert Rhino Camp in Damaraland and the Wilderness Safari Lodge in Soussesvlei - so maybe I won't be able to update again until we're back here in Windhoek on Friday night. We leave around 7.15 am tomorrow for our flight to our first lodge and we're really hoping we'll see some rhino (and Max says there's plenty of elephants as well).

We both remain really well and thoroughly entranced by this beautiful continent of Africa and its wonderful people.

Lotsa love

L & L